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Building an extension
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When looking at building an extension there are many aspects you need to consider, such as planning permission and building regulations. Finding the right builder and building supplies...
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Creating a level playing field in Public Sector Tendering
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Would you like to be able to win some of the vast amount of Public Sector work that is available. Read on to increase your chances.
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Planning a New Kitchen, Help to Plan your Kitchen
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If you are planning a new kitchen there are a number of things you may want to take into consideration. The Building Services Guide tries to give you some guidance.
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Energy Efficiency in your Home
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Are you losing money because your home is inefficient. You could be wasting hundreds of pounds each year, cut this down by looking at a few simple issues.
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A Business Opportunity Available For You
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Need more work?
Whatever trade you’re in, we have work for you!
Building Services Guide has partnered with Quotatis to offer a simple, flexible and cost effective way of locating potential customers in your local area
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Regulations & Guidance for Conservatories
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If you are considering having a conservatory put onto your property then you may find the following article useful. Please read on to find out more.
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| Article: Planning a New Kitchen, Help to Plan your Kitchen |
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If you are planning a new kitchen there are a number of things you may want to take into consideration. The Building Services Guide tries to give you some guidance.
First you decide what you want to do, are you just simply going to update your current kitchen? Possibly with new doors or with a new flat pack kitchen. These are jobs that you could potentially tackle yourself. If you have bought a kitchen like this and you don’t feel confident with putting it together you could just pay someone to fit it for you.
Others may use this opportunity to completely re-assess the space and design of the kitchen, think about how you will be using your kitchen. Will you be using it just to cook, will you want to eat meals in it, maybe you want to knock through to another room to create a kitchen diner? Before calling in the professionals make sure that you are clear about your requirements as changes of mind during the project will prove costly in both time and money.
One very important consideration when planning your new kitchen is where will your appliances go. Where are your drains for the things that need direct access like your sink unit, washer, dryer etc. Where is your gas supply for the cooker, are you going to have to move any of these? Moving pipes again will cost money and may have to take building regulations into consideration. If you are thinking of moving any gas pipes or fitting new gas appliances then make sure these are being done by a CORGI registered installer this is a requirement of health and safety legislation. Do you need more electrical sockets and if so where do you they need to go, again make sure this work is carried out by competent professionals. Two jobs that shouldn’t be carried out by DIY enthusiasts are Gas and Electrical installations.
Think about your preparation area, how much work surface are you going to need, if you are an avid cook you may want quite a lot. How easy is it to get around your working platform think about working in a triangle between your sink, fridge and hob, where are you going to place your pots between these points?
Now look at your storage space, how much will you need for cutlery, crockery, food, pots and pans and utensils. If you have a small kitchen have you seen some space saving devices that you may be interested in?
Finally look at the type of flooring that you want make sure that it is suitable for kitchens and will stand up to the spills and wear that it will inevitably take, pretty isn’t always the best.
If you are renewing your existing kitchen then there are a number of kitchen suppliers that will be able to plan and fit these for you, whether it is an off the shelf kitchen or a more expensive hand made bespoke kitchen.
If you do need some building work doing then you may need to get a builder involved particularly if you are removing walls as these may have to be supported, getting things wrong here could prove disastrous. Depending on the amount of work required you may also want to involve an architect to draw up your plans for you. This would most likely be if you are extending your house.
Check whether you need planning permission or need to notify your local building control department, proceeding without doing this could result in you having to put your house back to its original format.
When you are due to have the kitchen done think about how you are going to cope during the installation, there are going to be times when you may be without cooking facilities, hot water etc, Make alternative arrangements to cope with this. If you are having building work done please remember it is going to be disruptive and very dirty no matter how good the builder is please be prepared to put up with this for a number of weeks.
The Federation of Master Builders give some top tips for managing a successful building project:
• Get estimates from two or three different builders. Be clear about what you want done and ask for a written specification and quotation.
• Ask for references and talk to previous customers. A good builder will provide you with credentials and references, so try to visit previous jobs similar to your own.
• If the builder is a member of a trade association, check the membership criteria – and make sure they really are. Rogue builders have been known to falsely claim membership.
• Avoid adding to the job or changing your mind halfway through – it will usually cost more and cause delays. Confirm any changes you do make in writing – the FMB has a variation form for this purpose.
• Use a contract – the FMB has Plain English contracts for small building work.
• Agree any staged and final payments before work starts.
• Avoid dealing in cash.
• If any problems arise whilst work is in progress, or you are unhappy about anything, talk to your builder right away.
Hope this is useful to you and good luck.
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